Archive for the ‘Solar Design’ Category

Residential Architecture: Off-grid itHouse by Taalman Koch: “..The itHouse is a design system developed by Taalman Koch that utilizes a series of components prefabricated off-site to better control the construction waste, labor, and quality of the finished product. Conceived as a small house with glass walls and open floor plan, the itHouse maximizes the relationship of the occupant to the surrounding landscape while minimizing the building’s impact on delicate site conditions..Energy efficiency is achieved in the itHouse through passive heating and cooling, utilizing site orientation and cross ventilation, radiant floor heating, hi-efficacy appliances & equipment and the use of solar photovoltaic & thermal panels..To further enhance the experience of living in a glass house, a graphic design is mapped to discreet areas of the glass walls, creating framed views, sun-shading screen patterns and privacy zones. Artists Sarah Morris and Liam Gillick custom designed the graphic outfit for the off-grid itHouse..” Extensive glazing (as one may expect in a glass house, after all), natural light, views; lovely site; interesting interior visual textures, graphism; commendable contextual sensibility..

Architecture: Park 1 Stockholm by White Arkitektur: “..white arkitectur’s ‘park 1’ is a new typology for a civic structure, one that contributes to the greenery of the urban environment while dutifully performing the functions of an infrastructural complex. designed to house a traffic and emergency management center in addition to a fire station, the building serves kungsholmen, an island district of a historical province in stockholm city, Sweden. in a bid won with associates at AG arkitekter, the pragmatic program of 1200 new workplaces is bolstered by the dynamic inclusion of a restaurant, cafe, conference facilities and exhibition areas, all open to the public. the active spaces are arranged in five layers, with the fire station at the bottom level and the civic services center and office at the top, sandwiching the public floors. the architecture inclines back from the busy street of lindhagensgatan and cantilevers over the essingeleden highway– a poetic gesture that expresses a self-conscious sense of aestheticism. the building transcends purely functional geometry with a generous green roof, affording views from an impressive 50 meter height and acting as a foliage-filled oasis of rest and recreation. the structure complies with the eco-certification BREEAM and sweden’s own sustainability policy miljöbyggnad; the public rooftop park acting as a particular contributor to the biodiversity of the site and significant producer of solar energy. developed with london-based engineers at AKT, a double-skinned facade is informed by the intricate shapes of a circuit board, itself characterized by myriad nodes and synapses individually simple but infinitely combinable. the conceptual pattern describes the coordination center’s round-the-clock functions and connects the building activities of coordination, management and infrastructure with the architectonics of the exterior..”

Architecture: Stamp House by Charles Wright Architects: “..CWA were approached by the project client to deliver a carbon neutral (in operation) solution for an environmentally sensitive site off-grid on the edge of the FNQ beachfront rainforest. The aim was not to simply produce an engineered outcome but produce a building which made the most of the sites natural amenity and re-introduced the surrounding native wetland environment. The building is literally reflected by way of its siting over an engineered water ecosystem which was the result of lengthy liaison & collaboration with National Parks, Environmental Agencies, State and Local Government..The design is formed in an innovative combination of in-situ and precast concrete. The concrete has been engineered & insulated incorporating a total solar panelled roof to provide for a constant cooler & more comfortable ambient temperature year-round. The design utilises massive cantilevers to mitigate impact from potential flooding & king tide inundation associated with cyclonic activity. The project has been designed to be solid and to withstand intense cyclones..ESD initiatives include: total 250,000 ltr water harvesting, recycling & reticulation, renewable solar energy generation with solar backup non-reliant on fossil fuel backup generation, On-site Advanced Tertiary Sewerage treatment plant, grey water recycling & irrigation, Shaded & Insulated Thermal mass engineering, ‘green’ cooling & energy conservation controlled via building automation system (CBUS).. Interesting form; contextuality; green design..

Residential Architecture: House Renovation in Chamoson by Savioz Fabrizzi Architectes: “..originally erected in 1814 in the mountain town of chamoson, switzerland, the latest house renovation by swiss practice savioz fabrizzi architectes marks the last major structural modification on a dwelling that has evolved throughout the decades all the while holding onto its unique history. the thick stone masonry walls reflect the sturdy construction of the era, born of the same rock that famously defines the jagged backdrop. the deep stone envelope also provides a natural coat of insulation and thermal mass, shading the interior spaces in the summer with inset windows and benefiting from a large thermal mass in the winter. the renovation preserves the soul of the residential edifice by leaving the exterior in as much of its original form as possible, replacing the deteriorating wooden planks that wrap the attic with a contemporary concrete shell that still matches the general color of the facade. the window wells also provide one of the first hints as to the updated interior, with thin cast frames that subtly provide structural support and match the contemporary needs of a smooth orthogonal language. new larger apertures are cut out of the walls with thermal glass placed flush against the outer facade to retain the memory of the replaced section. situated on a sloping site, the house is split into three levels, with an underpass signaling an original access way before the home was expanded to the third floor situated on the highest point of the property..the interior tells an entirely different story, updated with soft pristine concrete partitions and surfaces that playfully contrast with areas of the exposed rugged historical walls. light reflects off of the semi-polished exposed finishes highlighting the decisive touches of orange fixtures that add a lively dynamic. the rooftop serves as a base for the 23 square-meters of solar panels that throughout the year generate 35% of the needed heating energy. the result nests the contemporary home within a sort of primordial vessel at the base of the breathtaking mountains, expressing an agreeable union between the character of the past and the function of the future..” Interesting renovation, fenestration, materiality..